Basketball varsity to play at United Center

On Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., the boys varsity basketball team will stand on the shoulders of giants as they walk out of the Chicago Bulls locker room for the third time in LT history to take the court against the Naperville North Huskies. Leading the way will be third year varsity starter Harrison Niego ‘15.

“[The United Center] is a great experience,” Niego said. “I am lucky enough that this will be my second time playing there for LT. It is a game everyone is looking forward to.”

LT Athletics Director John Grundke is responsible for this opportunity and has been working with the Chicago Bulls and the United Center in order to make this game a reality.

“There are not many people who can say that they were able to play in a professional stadium like the United Center,” Grundke said. “This is a great opportunity to do that for our basketball players.”

The change in venue from the NC fieldhouse to the Madhouse on Madison not only brings a change in environment, but also a change in style of play. The court is 10 feet longer, slightly wider and the three-point line is three feet further from the hoop.

“We have to get adjusted to the fact that we are playing on a different sized court and make some minor adjustments to our game,” Head Coach Tom Sloan said.

After a 17-11 finish last season, the boys are looking to perform even better and possibly win conference in order to make a deep run in the playoffs, Niego said.

An increase in the overall size of many of the players should help achieve this goal, Sloan said.

“This year, we are much bigger across the board,” Sloan said. “Guys like Joey Brunner ‘15 (6-feet 4-inches), Connor Niego ‘17 (6-feet 7-inches), Jaquan Phipps ‘15 (6-feet 3-inches) and Sean Lannan ‘15 (6-feet 4-inches) provide a huge difference in size beyond the arc compared to last year.”

Winning the WSC, however, has been no easy task for LT in the past, Harrison said.

“Our conference is very tough,” Harrison said. “There are no easy games. Our biggest challenge will be playing to our full potential night in and night out[/pullquote].”

Brothers Harrison and Connor and cousin Noah Niego ‘17 are prepared to make an impact on the team with their family bonds.

“We definitely have a chemistry that can only be found in playing with family,” Harrison said. “It is a very unique experience that we won’t take for granted.”

After a tough loss to Stevenson in the first round of the Thanksgiving Tournament, the boys defeated Argo, Hinsdale South, and Glenbard South to bring their record to 3-1. They play York at home tonight at 7:30.